A curated community board for freelance illustrators and comic creators

Weekly Roundup – October 28, 2016

Hello, and welcome again to another Weekly Roundup! In the Weekly Roundup, I provide links and summarized information about the crowdfunded projects, creator opportunities, and resources that have caught my eye over the week. I hope you enjoy!

As a note: I am not sponsored by any company, group, or individual listed below or elsewhere on this site unless otherwise listed.

Awards

StArt Faire is accepting entries and nominations for their Excellence in Webcomics Award! As surely many of you know, webcomic artists are some of the hardest working artists out there, but often receive few rewards or recognition for their labor and dedication. StArt Faire noticed this and stepped up to provide an opportunity for recognition that truly sounds amazing. Here’s more on the awards:

The 2016 EIW Awards are the first of their kind, designed to celebrate and promote the immense creativity of the thriving webcomic community. They are dedicated to the indie spirit of the creators doing it themselves, their way, without the marketing might or money of major publishers. They are meant to bolster the indie webcomic community, and we hope that they will become something for the community to look forward to every year.

The WNDB Walter Dean Myers Award for YA 2017 is accepting submissions of diverse YA novels by diverse authors. Publishers, please submit one physical book to each of the committee members for their consideration. Authors, consider making your publishers aware of this opportunity for your book to receive recognition. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2016.

The Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity is accepting nominations for writers, artists, and creators who work towards:

…Broadening the range of characters portrayed in comics, adding to the variety of creators contributing to the medium, influence on the marketplace and contributions to the advancement of women, minorities and LGBTs in comic books and pop culture.

Nominations are accepted until December 31, 2016, and the award ceremony will take place in Long Beach, California on February 18, 2016. Think about your favorite creators whose work has helped transform the modern comic landscape and give them a chance to get the recognition they deserve!

Crowdfunded Projects

Wax & Wane, a comic by (one of my lifelong favorite artists) Kelly Bastow, is running a Kickstarter to fund the productions of its first volume! The book will be perfect bound, in 56 full color pages. Tier options include PDF or print copies of the book, sketches, prints, and a Skype lesson by none other than Bastow herself! The Kickstarter ends October 31, 2016.

The webcomic Johnny Wander is running a Kickstarter to produce an omnibus edition of their comic. Tier options include PDF and physical copies of the books, a pin, a signed book plate, a plush of Maw, and more! The Kickstarter ends November 1, 2016.

Sari-Sari Storybooks is running a Kickstarter to fund the production of its 3-book collection aimed at children aged 5-8. The books, available in both media-rich digital books and printed editions, will feature underrepresented and endangered language groups of the Phillippines. Tier options include the digital or printed books, sticker sets, and custom artwork. The campaign ends November 1, 2016.

O Human Star, a comic about an inventor who awakens 16 years after his death and is faced with unresolved relationships and a world full of robotics, is running a Kickstarter to fund production of its Volume 2, as well as a reprint of Volume 1! Tier options include print and PDF versions of Volumes 1 and/or 2, an enamel pin, magnet pack, character sketch, and bookplate. The Kickstarter ends November 3, 2016.

The Femme and Flora Coloring Book is running a Kickstarter to help fund the production of the beautifully illustrated art nouveau-inspired coloring book. The book’s artwork features diverse women of all sizes, ages, and races. Tier options include the PDF and printed forms of the book, postcards, a colorable t-shirt, and a commissioned piece of art! The Kickstarter ends November 3, 2016.

Sarah of SenshiStock is running Kickstarter for a Magical Girl Coloring Bookfeaturing her art as well as art from Yoshi Yoshitani, KoriMichele, and more! Tier options include a digital coloring page, the coloring book itself, and original artwork. The Kickstarter ends November 6, 2016.

Couture, a collection of short comics inspired by iconic moments in fashion history, launched its Kickstarter this week. Contributors include renowned illustrators Jen Bartel, Marguerite Sauvage, Kevin Wada, and more. Tiers include a PDF or hard-cover copy of the book, a postcard, an enamel pin, and prints. The Kickstarter ends November 18, 2016.

Creative Opportunities

Animation

Blizzard has a number of opportunities available in a variety of fields, including 3D Animation, Technical Writing, Public Relationtions, Security, and more.

You can find a directory of currently open animation jobs at animatedjobs.com! Companies like DHX Media, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and others have a number of open full-time, part-time, and freelance positions available, including social media, editing, and teaching.

The Oofuri Secret Santa 2016 is accepting applications until October 28, 2016, at 7PM EST. Arts, fanfiction, and fan videos/AMVs are accepted.

StarHammer is holding their first annual fanart contest. Click here (and scroll down) for more information. Entries are due by October 31, 2016.

The TsukYam Gift Exchange, a gift exchange of art, fanfiction, and more for the Haikyuu characters Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, has applications open until November 18.

The Voltron LookBook Zine is accepting applications until October 28, 2016, 11:59PM EST! Entries must be full color and safe for work, to be printed in a 7″ x 10″ perfect bound book. Artists will be paid if sales exceed production costs, but pay is not contractually guaranteed.

Weekly Shonen Magazine and MediBang are hosting a manga contest! Submit your completed comic by January 12, 2017 for the chance to have your work reviewed by Weekly Shonen Magazine editors. Simply post your comic of 50 pages or less and MediBang will translate it. Winners will have an editor assigned to them to help develop your comic further. Grand prize winners will also be published in Weekly Shonen Magazine’s manga app Magazine Pocket.

The Witchy Zine is accepting submissions of your best witch-themed art! Be sure to read the guidelines (if you can’t see the image and need me to type them out – let me know!). Submissions are due November 16, 2016.

From previous weeks:The newly launched Argot Magazine is seeking submissions about queer and marginalized experiences. Click here for more on their mission as well as their pay rates.

Daft Zine is accepting submissions for their Daft Punk charity zine supporting Music Unites. Comics and illustrations will be accepted until November 1.

Fiyah Lit Mag is seeking an illustrator for the cover of their January 1, 2017 issue. The theme is “Rebirth.” Portfolios are due by November 1, 2016. Check here for submissions guidelines.

Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic that previously published Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, Jeff Smith’s Bone, and Kazu Kibuishi’s Amulet, is accepting submissions for graphic novelists creating works for children and teens. Visit their site for more information. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2017.

The Mental Health Anthology is accepting submissions until October 31, 2016. You can use the hashtag #MHAnthology on twitter to search for writers, artists, or other collaborators. Here are the details about submissions.

SCWBIis seeking submissions for the 2017 Tomie de Paola Award. Submit an illustration of yourself as a child in a children’s book expressing and portraying quickly-read emotion. Entries are to be printed on 8.5″ x 11″ paper and due by December 1, 2016.

StArt Faire magazine is hosting a Halloween Contest where winners have a chance to be featured in issues 8 and 9 of their monthly online comic magazine. Rules can be found here. Submissions are due by October 29th, 2016.

StArt Faire magazine is accepting comics, reviews, prose and art-related advertising for exclusive and non-exclusive presence in their e-magazine. Read here for more information. Submissions for the upcoming issue are due October 29, 2016. They’re also on the lookout for a regular interviewer!

Tu Books, the middle grade and young adult imprint of Lee & Low Books, has announced the New Visions Award for writers and graphic novel creators. The winner will be published under the imprint. Submissions are accepted until October 31, 2016.

Anime Expo, the largest anime convention in North America, will be opening their artist alley tables on November 1 at 12PM PST at this link. Tables will cost $425 each and will include one artist alley pass. Demand is high for artist alley tables in California, especially this one. My tips: have your credit card and other auto-fill information ready. If you don’t get a table in the first wave, wait thirty minutes, and keep refreshing. That’s how I got my table last year!

We Need Diverse Books is offering an opportunity for mentorships for 8 aspiring authors and 2 illustrators who are working on diverse books. Mentorships will last for approximately one year, with mentors and mentees maintaining communication in a custom format best suited for them and their schedules. Applications are due by October 31, 2016.

Residencies

The Center for Cartoon Studies is accepting applications for a residency in Cornish, New Hampshire. The month of February 2017 would be spent in a secluded home on 12 acres of land and includes an honorarium of $600. Applications are due November 1, 2016.

Scholarships

Cards Against Humanity is funding the Science Ambassador Scholarship, now accepting applications until December 11, 2016. The scholarship will cover full tuition for up to four years of an undergraduate degree for a woman studying science, engineering, or math.

Sign up to teach at Skillshare to earn royalties based on the premium member students in your class. See here for additional information.

Translation

MyAnimeList is running a translation competition with submissions due by November 4, 2017. Prizes include a Macbook Air, Apple Watch, a chance to visit Japan for the awards ceremony, and potential translation job offers.

Coinciding with the 50 year anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, a print anthology is seeking submissions about interracial relationships. Read this tweet thread for more information on how to submit. Please submit by November 21.

Siren’s Call Publishing is seeking submissions of fiction 4000-8000 words long on first-person horror. Accepted writers will receive $25 and a copy of the anthology. Read submission guidelines here. Submissions are due by December 1.

Tapas is seeking original prose series to feature exclusively on their site and app. Stories should have at least 3 episodes consisting of 500 to 1000 words each. Genres favored by audiences include YA Fantasy, YA Romance, YA Sci-Fi, and slice-of-life with fun, relatable characters and a faster-paced storyline. Submit by October 31, 2016.

Teen Vogue is accepting submissions of 500-1000 words on the topic “glass ceiling”. Submissions may be essays, short stories, or even poetry (200-400 words). Entries are due by November 2. Read here for official rules.

The newly launched Argot Magazine is seeking submissions about queer and marginalized experiences. Click here for more on their mission as well as their pay rates.

Book Smugglers Publishing is seeking submissions for an anthology on the theme of Gods and Monsters. Length must be between 1500 and 17,500 words in length. Payment is $0.06 per word, up to $500. Submissions are due by December 31, 2016.

Fiyah Lit Magis seeking submissions of fiction and poetry for their Summer 2017 issue with the theme “Spilling Tea”. Submissions are due by January 1, 2017. Check here for more information and details.

Handtype Press is seeking submissions from writers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Stories should be at least 500 words and at most 4000 words, with elements of science fiction, horror, fantasy, the supernatural, and/or magical realism. Submissions are due by December 31, 2016.

Becca Hillburn is not only a provider of extensive, honest, and high-quality product reviews and tutorials, she’s a full-time comic artist and illustrator passionate about children’s lit and helping others. Check out her store, her book, or her Patreon and send her a “thank you” message if you can!

Kibou has made a version of her Leafy Brushes available for Clip Studio Paint (Photoshop version also available) on her site Shooting Stars! There are TONS of brushes available for Clip Studio Paint AND Photoshop, so be sure to say thank you!

Jetpens is holding a giveaway for an Akashiya Japanese Gansai watercolor palette box, a set of Derwent Inktense pencils, a Pentel Aquash water brush, and a Maruman New Soho Series sketchbook at B4 size. Giveaway ends November 2.